consolid8 Festival is an initiative that brings changemakers and leaders from across sectors together, in one vibrant space, to consolidate the social innovation ecosystem and the economic resilience of the organisations.
On 19-20 June, Bucharest will be a hub for social innovation changemakers, hosting the 3rd edition of consolid8 Festival, where over 300 top leaders from business, academia, civil society, and the public sector are expected to transform the way green technologies, artificial intelligence, and urban design can work together to help cities and organizations face the climate challenges.
International speakers will bring complementary perspectives and practical solutions for the sustainable transformation of cities and organizations — from generative AI used to reduce carbon footprints, to resilient urban design, European funding opportunities, sustainable leadership models, and ecosystem building mechanisms for long-term social impact.
At the event, representatives of the National Competence Centers for Social Innovation from Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, and Croatia will take the stage and discuss the progress of social innovation in their countries, highlighting the key factors that contribute to its development:
- Danijela Paska – researcher and social impact specialist at ACT Group, centered on public policies and their impact on individuals
- Tadej Slapnik – CEO at HashNET Slovenia, actively involved in development and smart regulation of blockchain technology
- Raluca Prelucă – Partner & Senior consultant at fonduri-structurale.ro, expert on EU funds
- Marianna Kondylidou – Head of Operations and Senior socioeconomic expert at SED Consultants PC
- Gianluca Salvatori – Vice President of the National Center for Social Innovation (Italy) and an active member of European Commission and UN working groups on the topic of the social economy.
The festival agenda has two focus areas: Transform from within: How to scale sustainable innovation and manage strategic change; and Impact by design: How to generate transformation through urban initiatives, organisational culture, and civic engagement. Both areas will be consistently and systematically approached throughout all 3 pillars of the event:
- consolid8 Talks: keynotes and panels on themes such as business strategy for competitiveness, AI integration, and impact investing, urban regeneration, stakeholder engagement and social impact
- Masterclasses – hands-on workshops on EU funding, sustainable leadership, and building internal culture as a lever for external impact
- Networking and relaxation spaces to foster partnerships across sectors
Those present at the event can also expect valuable insights from a wide range of experts, including Maks Giordano, awarded global strategist with innovation projects for Apple, Lego and Mercedes; Ryan Grant Little, climatetech investor and co-founder of StormFisher Biogas; Yorick Debeus, expert on securing funding for decarbonization initiatives and green technologies, and many others.
For more information about consolid8 Festival 2025 – a premier event in Eastern Europe for the leaders of tomorrow to shape a brighter future for the social innovation ecosystem, through green tech sustainability – Visit the consolid8.ro/festival/ website.
consolid8 Festival is an initiative developed by fonduri-structurale.ro, a Romanian organisation which is part of the SEED2SCALE consortium. The event is co-funded by the European Union through the Social Innovation+ Initiative and benefits from support from the Sustainability Embassy in Romania, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Romania, and private partners: HP, Lenovo, Stratos, LG Electronics, Microsoft, NOD, and UEFISCDI.
